The Strongest Curse Master

"A big plate of scrambled eggs, bacon, sausages, hashbrowns, pancakes, and a pitcher of beer—"

"Hank, we had breakfast at home. And isn't it a bit too early for beer?"

Sitting in the diner across from the sheriff's office, surrounded by the aroma of sizzling bacon, pancakes, and the clatter of dishes, Alwin's jaw dropped as he listened to old Hank recite his hearty order to the waitress. When Hank ordered a pitcher of beer, Al misunderstood, thinking it was for all three of them, and hastily interrupted.

"Al, that is Hank's regular order," Dan explained, shaking his head.

Listening to his brother, Al looked at Hank as if he were staring at a medical marvel. Unable to comprehend how Hank's heart and liver were still functioning, Al sat in disbelief. The waitress, amused by Al's shocked expression, remarked, "Hank is big eater. Would you two gentlemen like coffee or something else?"

"No, thank you, Dorothy. We're good for now. But please bring the beer over a few minutes later. We need to discuss business with Hank," Dan politely declined. Dorothy nodded and left, aware that discussing business with Hank while he enjoyed a beer was futile.

"You guys planning to hit the lake with your families?" Hank asked, eyeing the boat trailer outside the window.

"My nephew wants to go fishing, so we are," Dan nodded, then turned to Hank in a serious tone. "About last night, did you really see a ghost, or was it just the booze playing tricks on you?"

"Dan, I've passed out drunk in that auto salvage yard countless times over the years, but I've never experienced anything like last night," Hank exaggerated, swearing in a hushed voice. "I swear on my unborn grandchild, there was a ghost, and it chased me out of there. If I'd been any slower, you'd be searching for my remains now."

Dan had previously warned Hank that rumors of the yard being haunted could hurt its value, so Hank had kept quiet about his fear—until Dan asked him directly.

The fear in Hank's eyes was evident, making Dan wonder if there was some truth to his story. Shaking his head, Dan asked, "So, what do you plan to do now?"

Hank frowned. "Didn't we already talk about this on the phone last night?"

"I just want to confirm with you again before I take you to Mandy. You know how serious she gets about these things," Dan explained, though he was really stalling until Mandy's ex-colleague arrived with the necessary documents. His task was to keep Hank away from booze until the deal was done.

Hank nodded, then declared, "I want to sell the auto salvage yard. I need Mandy to help sell it as soon as possible. There, I said it. Now can you call her in?"

It was no secret that Mandy was the best realtor in town. Her rapid success at such a young age was proof of that. Hank firmly believed that if anyone could sell the land quickly in this town in the current market, it was Mandy.

Seeing a black Prius pull up outside the diner, Dan agreed. "I'll call her in." Through the glass window, he signaled to Mandy, who was greeting her ex-colleague exiting the Prius.

"Dan, we've been friends for many years, right?" Hank began.

"Don't worry, Hank. I've asked Mandy to give you the friends and family rate," Dan assured him. As Mandy and her ex-colleague entered the diner, Dan signaled Al to follow him outside.

As the brothers left, Dorothy prepared to bring Hank's pitcher of beer, but a slender, lily-white hand holding a crisp hundred-dollar bill stopped her. It was Mandy. Peering over her sunglasses, she looked at Dorothy's wrinkled face and said, "You know what to do."

Placing the beer pitcher back under the counter, Dorothy took the hundred-dollar bill and pressed it to her chest, promising, "I'll treat him like a king for the next hour."

"Where are you two headed?" Al asked, running into his troublemaker nephew and suspiciously-well-behaved son at the diner's entrance.

"I'm bringing Ace to see Mandy in action. Uncle, you should join us. It's like watching a work of art," Danny said, hurrying into the diner with Ace.

As his son and nephew walked past them, Al asked his brother, "Is Mandy really that good?"

"He's exaggerating, but yeah, she's pretty good. It's a pity she hates workplace politics. Otherwise, she wouldn't have retired from real estate so early," Dan replied with a sigh, regretting her early retirement.

"At least she knows what she wants and built a solid safety net for herself. My eldest keeps changing her goals every year," Al said, still coming to terms with his daughter giving up a career in animation to become a comic artist. He wanted to be supportive, but he worried she'd end up living in his basement, especially if she got involved with a useless boyfriend.

Inside, Hank was shocked by Mandy's proposal. "You want to buy my auto salvage yard?" he asked.

"No, I don't want to. I have to, as a favor for my brother-in-law," Mandy said, preferring to be straightforward. She disliked playing games.

She believed the important thing was ensuring all parties were happy with the transaction. Her trick was getting everyone to agree on a price that felt fair, without any games or secrecy. Though it wasn't easy, Mandy had a way of making people feel comfortable enough to speak openly.

"How so?" Hank asked, still confused.

"Your yard is next to my brother-in-law's ranch. If it's really haunted as you claim, word will eventually get out, which could affect property values in the area," Mandy explained, while omitting some truths that might complicate things.

"And how does you buying it change that?" Hank asked, still skeptical.

"First, no realtor would dare sell your auto salvage yard without revealing the real reason you're selling. Hiding it could expose them to litigation, and you'd also be liable if you failed to disclose it. Even though no one can prove in court that the yard is haunted, you'd still face consequences for not being upfront. These kinds of cases tend to attract tabloids and social media attention.

No reputable realtor would want to deal with that, and neither do I. But since it affects people I know, I'm willing to buy it myself to avoid all the trouble. However, you'll have to sign an NDA, agreeing not to talk about what you saw last night or gossip about the yard being haunted," Mandy explained patiently, detailing the consequences of Hank's request.

Though retired, she took her job very seriously and wasn't willing to compromise her ethics as a realtor over this.

"Don't you care that it's haunted?" Hank asked Mandy with concern, realizing things were more complicated than he'd assumed. He had watched Mandy grow up before his eyes and didn't want to knowingly harm a child of his town, especially considering his relationship with Dan.

"Don't worry," Mandy reassured him, "I plan to dump all the dirty junk you've collected over the decades in a landfill and plow the land. No matter how low-grade the soil is, it should be able to grow fodder for cattle. It's important that I get rid of the salvage yard before rumors about it being haunted spread around town." She explained her plan, assuring Hank that she had thought it through.

"That's good. Tell me where to sign," Hank replied, feeling relieved that no one would be harmed because of his family's salvage yard. He had grown up in this town and knew everyone, especially those with land near his. He didn't want stories about the yard being haunted to affect his friends' property values.

He was deeply grateful that Mandy was handling things properly and couldn't have been more satisfied with her work. He trusted her so much that he didn't even bother to hear her offer, let alone negotiate for a higher price. He was ready to sign away his family's land, trusting Mandy blindly.

"Your daughter told me you and your son are planning to move to her city to be closer to her and her children. This should be enough for both of you to get settled and start fresh," Mandy said, signaling her ex-colleague, who passed Hank the paperwork.

She had contacted Hank's daughter and learned that he was planning to move to her city to be closer to his grandchildren but couldn't let go of the family's salvage yard. However, the incident the night before had helped him make his decision.

Looking through the documents, Hank exclaimed, "$420,000! That's like $42,000 per acre—that's too generous." The offer was much higher than he had expected. Once the initial shock wore off, he shook his head and added, "No, this isn't right."

"Mr. Hank, this is a very generous offer. If I were you, I'd take it," Mandy's ex-colleague frowned, trying to persuade Hank not to be greedy.

"I've spent my whole life on that land, so I know how much it's worth. This offer is indeed generous. Let's reduce it to $350,000. After all, you'll still have to pay out of your pocket to clear the junk and prepare the land for farming," Hank insisted. He didn't want to owe Mandy more than he already did.

Though the junk he and his family collected over several decades was worth something to someone or as scrap, but he trusted Mandy's instinct to bump it in a landfill since he really believed that his auto salvage yard was truly haunted. This had to be done such that no unsuspecting innocent person would be harmed in this.

His family had moved to the town when it was still a small village. The town and its people had helped them survive tough times. Despite his reputation as a drunk, Hank wanted to ensure that when he left, the townsfolk would remember his family in their prayers, not with curses. Mandy had made that possible.

Although his mind had been clouded by greed upon seeing her offer, his heart didn't want to take advantage of her, so he chose to do the right thing.

"Hank, I considered all of that when I made the offer. You don't need to feel burdened. Just sign it, and don't forget to visit us once in a while," Mandy replied. She had indeed factored in all the costs of cleaning the land and getting it ready for cattle grazing. Although she preferred straightforward and honest deals, that didn't mean she would sacrifice her interests to help others.

"Hahaha, I still remember how worried Dan was when you refused to go to college. But look at you now, all grown up into a capable woman. I can't help but envy Dan in that regard. I wish my daughter was half as smart as you," Hank said, making small talk as he took the pen from Mandy's ex-colleague and signed the property transfer documents and NDA.

Watching Hank sign the papers, Ace, who was sitting at the diner counter, looked at Mandy in awe. He had heard she was good, but seeing her in action was enlightening experience. He realized that she had done all her homework before approaching Hank with an offer. What amazed him most was that she'd done it all in the span of a single night. That was some serious skill.

"Mandy, now that the yard matter is settled, I'd like your help with my house. It's old and shabby, but I'm sure it's worth something to someone," Hank said, having signed the papers and taken a $420,000 check from Mandy's ex-colleague.

"First, let me introduce you to Jared. We used to work together, and I've told him about your house. He's interested in buying it for $82,000. If you agree, we can transfer it right away," Mandy said, scaring Ace and Danny who were watching from the sidelines. Her performance was almost as if she could see the future.

Although she could have fetched a better price, the house was in poor condition, having seen no maintenance for nearly half a century. It was surprising it was still standing. Other than the frame, Jared would have to renovate the entire structure. That offer was mostly for the land and it's thriving borewell.

They had come to an agreement—Mandy would help him buy the house, and Jared would handle all the legal work for the salvage yard transfer and handling the relocation of the junk in it.

"Deal," Hank agreed readily, grinning from ear to ear. He couldn't believe someone was willing to buy his dump for $82,000. With this he was now worth half a million. He couldn't be more satisfied with Mandy's service. He thanked his lucky stars that he made the decision to chose her over some big name real estate agency. She solved all his problems in a single meeting.

Now he was free to move whenever he pleased.